Posts from the ‘AvenueWest Rentals’ Category

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A major player in the corporate housing space, Bridgestreet, just launched their brand new site which has the potential to offer instant booking – something that has since been obsolete in the corporate housing sector. The corporate housing industry has been avoiding this technology shift for quite some time since it takes away the qualities and values we strive for: outstanding customer service and satisfaction, attention to detail, and quality control. According to Skift Megatrends 2017, corporate travel is shifting with all of the changes in leisure travel, causing business travelers to expect more instant booking tools and intuitive management portals.

Sites like AirBNB, HomeAway, Expedia, Booking.com, etc. all have the capacity to allow instant bookings which ultimately gives the consumer access to more lodging choices on the extended stay spectrum:

Hotel Room: An open room with generally a king sized bed or 2 double beds, usually with a desk space, dresser, closet and a separate full bathroom. Ideally for short-term stays of 1-2 nights.

Hotel Suite: A larger hotel room usually with a separate bedroom and bathroom, living area with desk, mini fridge, microwave, and coffee maker. Ideally for short-term stays of 1-5 nights.

Extended Stay Hotel: An extended stay hotel room has all of the hotel suite but also offers a kitchen and dining area including pots, pans, dishes, silverware, and other very basic kitchen necessities. Typical extended stay rooms are designed for stays of 3-7 days though they can be utilized for longer stays as well.

Corporate Housing: A fully furnished apartment with a full-size kitchen, all appliances, and a minimum of 60+ household items. Most apartments also offer on site amenities such as fitness centers, business centers, pools, etc. Offered for 30+ day stays.

By Owner: A privately owned property either managed by the property owner or a property manager. The By Owner segment on the lodging spectrum offers a variety of different types of property options from condos to single family residences. Think AirBNB or Home Away – individual property owners don’t necessarily understand the corporate housing industry and might not offer full kitchens, housewares, or amenities like a traditional corporate housing apartment does or a CHBO Complete or Managed Corporate Housing property offers. Depending on where the property is located, there will be different requirements for the minimum length of stay required.

CHBO Complete: A privately owned property (condo, loft, town home, house, etc.) either managed directly by the property owner or a property management company listed on CorporateHousingByOwner.com (CHBO) that follows all of the requirements set forth by the Corporate Housing Providers Association (CHPA). Usually offered for 30+ day stays but shorter term stays might be permitted depending on where the property is located.

Managed Corporate Housing: A privately owned property (condo, loft, town home, house, etc.) managed by a licensed residential real estate property management brokerage following the minimum standards set forth by the CHPA and rented out fully furnished for 30+ day stays.

Ultimately, creating one platform that will allow consumers to choose the type of lodging they want for their specific needs would be the best solution, especially since there are very different types available. However, getting all online travel agencies, corporate housing providers, and private owners on one booking platform will most likely never be a reality.

The corporate housing industry is a service based industry, priding itself with superior customer service which is not readily available with instant booking. Today’s consumer still needs to be educated about their lodging choice and how one might be a better fit for their needs than another. This can only be done with person to person interaction. Sure, technology can provide today’s consumers with answers right at their fingertips but at what cost? As Millennials age and start taking over the majority of business travel in the next 5-10 years, how is this going to impact the various industries supporting lodging choice? How can we all work together to provide a seamless booking experience for the new generation? These are all questions that keep us up at night in the corporate housing arena and we as an industry are actively working to continuously improve our standards and offerings not only here in the United States, but Globally as well.

Overall Rental rate appreciation will stabilize this year. While the overall United States rental rate appreciation is staying around 1.5%, many West Coast metropolitan cities (Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and surrounding Bay Area, San Diego and Denver) won’t see their rental rate appreciation yet below 5%. Overall, there is more rental inventory available which is a large contributing factor to rental rates slowing down.

According to Apartment List, Inc. and their February 2017 rent report, rents increased slightly this month nationwide after four months of rental rate decreases. In 2016, the rental rate was significantly lower and did level off from the dramatic increases in 2014 and 2015.

2. Homeownership Rate will increase slowly as Millennial’s get older. Many people have shifted to renting instead of buying since 2006. But, as Millennial’s get older and make more money, they feel that buying a home is an integral part of their personal freedom. Don’t worry, this shift is going to be gradual and over time so rental vacancies should not be affected yet.

3. Many renters are now being pushed to the suburbs. The Baby Boomers are looking to downsize from their larger homes, perhaps in the suburbs, and move to smaller homes in more walk-able neighborhoods. As a result, there is less inventory available in the urban areas and higher rental rates since there is not enough supply to meet the demand. More people are now looking to surrounding cities and suburbs to find lower rents and more options. Because of this shift, some of the fastest growing rental rates in the nation are in smaller cities and suburbs outside of the Nation’s most expensive metropolises.

4. New home costs will increase due to rising construction costs. Most new home builders are moving their focus on high-end homes since the cost of construction and land is on the rise. This means that more people will still be forced to rent since the average person will not be able to afford the new home prices currently being offered.

5. Interests rates will increase. Over the past couple of months, interests rates have already begun to increase due to the change in administration. If they continue to rise over the course of this year, individuals and families who might have been considering buying will instead remain in rentals until the rates go back down.

Overall, the cost of rent has started to mellow out a bit but there are still some major factors that are playing into the current rental market nationwide and why we most likely won’t be seeing any major decreases anytime soon.

Luckily, the majority of all AvenueWest Managed Corporate Housing‘s rental properties aren’t affected by the major rental rate hikes impacting apartment communities since our properties are privately owned. Rent like a local in one of our beautifully furnished or unfurnished properties. Call us today 1-800-928-1592.

Here are the nation’s 100 largest markets and their median rental rates and percent changes from Apartment Source, Inc.:

In the November/December 2016 addition of Workforce Magazine, in the article titled “Mobility Needs a Makeover,” Millennials are recognized as great candidates for global assignments since their relocation packages typically cost less than the “older, more encumbered peers.” According to George Bates, the Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Sales for Graebel:

…Today’s businesses have a lot of reasons for relocating employees, and many of them have figured out that younger staff don’t need the same level of support…Younger employees are more open to the adventure that comes with an oversees assignment, and are often willing to voluntarily go with few if any additional perks. ‘They are young and hungry and eager to learn about a new culture.’ Inviting young, highly skilled employees to voluntarily relocate for a challenging work assignment has been a growing trend…for the past few years…It’s one of the many strategies mobility experts are using to cut the cost and complexity of relocation assignments, while adding value for employees. ‘There is a pervasive assumption among this generation that if they want a strong career, they need this kind of experience.’

According to a study compiled by Brookfield Global Relocation Services, 11% of the employees taking relo assignments are ages 20-29 and when mobility and talent management are combined, the number increases to 22%. Companies are really focusing on getting younger employees into their global leadership roles.

The relocation industry is shifting because of this growing trend of sending younger employees on assignments. More relocation packages are being offered now based on the needs of the company and the value of the employee. Younger employees are also typically easier to relocate since they don’t usually have kids and families to relocate, and since most Millennials rent instead of own, no property managers to find. Millennials are craving these experiences and in exchange, aren’t necessarily looking for higher salaries and benefits to accompany their relocations.

Temporary housing is a large portion of relocation services. According to the 2014 Gen-Y Housing Survey conducted by the Urban Land Institute and UDR, there were some very interesting findings regarding what Millennials are looking for in their accommodations:

These figures represent what Millennial respondents chose in regards to housing. It is from the 2014 Gen Y and Housing Survey compiled by the Urban Land Institute and UDR.

Good news, we have full-service, local offices in 4 out of these 10 cities and can assist our millennials with short-term, fully furnished temporary housing while they get settled into their new city. All of our properties include the features that are important to the Millennial respondents and even more!

For all of your relocation needs, your local AvenueWest Managed Corporate Housing office is at your service, providing exclusive residential properties including single-family homes, town homes, condos, and apartments. All offices are licensed real estate brokerages and can help you find your perfect home once you are settled. Most of our offices can also help with unfurnished rentals as well.

We are local and know the cities and neighborhoods our properties are located. Plus, we have properties not just in major cities, but in the surrounding suburbs as well.

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Traveling to Denver for business? Or perhaps you are relocating and want to try living in a particular neighborhood prior to settling down. Whatever your reason is for coming to beautiful Denver, let the local AvenueWest Managed Corporate Housing office find the perfect fully furnished rental for your needs.

This month, we are featuring a very unique and beautiful all-inclusive property in the heart of downtown Denver, within walking distance to tons of restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, the Pepsi Center, Denver Performing Arts Complex, the Convention Center, Union Station, Museum of Contemporary Art and so much more!

Bike rentals are right around the corner and the Cherry Creek bike path is at the end of the street. Confluence park is 1/4 mile away.

This 1,600 square foot 2BD/2.5BA downtown Denver town home boasts high-end functionality and features including:

Main floor is open concept with 11 foot ceilings and floor to ceiling windows

Master bedroom has a king bed, sitting room and office, private balcony and a large flat screen TV.

Bathrooms have Kohler fixtures and white stone floors and both have a tub and shower

Separate laundry room next to 2nd bedroom upstairs

2 covered parking spaces in adjoining garage

Along with the great property features included above, all AvenueWest Denver rentals include high-speed wireless internet, expanded basic cable, domestic long distance, capped utilities (gas/electric), water, trash, linens and towels, housewares, and furnishings all for $5,500/month. There is also a one-time, non-refundable departure cleaning fee of $350. Maid Service can be added for an additional fee.

Click here to see more pictures and details of this charming town home or call us 303-825-0000 to reserve this beautiful property today! 🙂

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Since 2001, Angela Healy worked for AvenueWest Corporate Housing in Denver – helping founders, Kimberly and Eric Smith, manage their financials and run the day-to-day operations. Angela was pivotal in helping AvenueWest grow and find success over the years – including early on in the business when the company took a financial hit in the failing economy. Over the years, Angela helped the Smiths create the AvenueWest Managed Corporate Housing Franchise model and even assisted with the on-boarding of the franchisee team in Colorado Springs.

Along the way, Angela learned that Kimberly and Eric’s long-term plans were to eventually franchise the Denver market.

“When I told Tim [my husband] that AvenueWest Denver was available for purchase as a franchise, he said, ‘Have you ever thought of us buying Denver?’ I’d been working in the business for so long that it made sense that I would be the perfect successor,” says Angela. “The best part was that my husband had always wanted to own a business – so it was truly the right fit for us to do together.”

Kimberly says that Angela was a natural fit to take over the business given her experience and deep corporate housing knowledge.

“Between her strong corporate housing background experience and Tim’s impressive business acumen and entrepreneurial desires, Eric and I knew they were the right team to take over the Denver market,” says Kimberly.

After taking over AvenueWest Denver, the Healys became iron-focused on their mission: To match those seeking corporate housing in Denver with those offering furnished, short-term rental properties.

“We are lucky to live in Denver as we get to cater to a variety of people in need of corporate housing, from business professionals and traveling consultants to relocating employees, traveling healthcare professionals, on-assignment military personnel, traveling theater companies and more,” says Tim.

The State of Denver’s Corporate Housing Market

Angela and Tim add that Denver is traditionally a high-demand market for corporate housing, and they don’t see that changing anytime soon.

“While we are currently seeing a lot of clients sell their properties because it’s a hot seller’s market, at the same time we are adding new clients who are looking for a competitive advantage when it comes to managing and marketing their unique furnished properties available for rent,” says Angela.

One of the ways Angela and Tim say they maintain steady inventory throughout market fluctuations is by offering great customer service, competitive pricing, unique properties, and win-win partnerships with those who own properties in desirable locations.

“We manage about 30 properties in The Spire (891 14th St. Denver), an upscale condo community in downtown Denver that offers panoramic views of the city and resort-style amenities. We are able to offer these properties to discerning individuals and groups who want to experience Denver’s culture and vibrant downtown scene while traveling to the Mile High City,” says Tim.

Steep Learning Curve

While Tim had little corporate housing experience when he took over AvenueWest Denver in 2011, he says he has since undergone a steep learning curve.

“At first corporate housing was like speaking a foreign language,” he says, “But today it feels like a natural progression in my career and offers me the flexibility I desire to balance my family-life with my professional-life.”

Above all, Tim says that having AvenueWest as the backdrop of their franchise gives them the name recognition and instant trust in the industry.

“Partnering with an award-winning, well-respected name in corporate housing not only brings us high quality referrals, but also helps us solidify relationships with new prospects who have come to know and trust the AvenueWest brand for more than a decade,” says Tim.

This 1BD/1.5BA single story family home offers 1,400 square feet, a 2 car garage plus 2 additional covered parking spots, access to the adjacent horse facility, upscale finishes, and a washer/dryer.

Contact AvenueWest Phoenix for more information and to book this fabulous property: 602.753.2412 orPhoenix@avenuewest.com.

**Additional terms and conditions for AvenueWest Phoenix properties:

All properties require a one-time $250 non-refundable cleaning fee. If pets are permitted, a one-time, non-refundable pet fee of $300/per pet is required. In lieu of a refundable security deposit, we offer an Accidental Rental Damage Insurance for $69 every 90 days which covers renters up to $3,000 worth of damages for every 90 days in the unit. Otherwise, a refundable security deposit equal to one month rent is required. Rental tax does apply in all of our units – Scottsdale is 1.65% and Phoenix is 2%. Minimum lease term of 30 days required. All housewares, linens, towels, expanded basic cable (Premium channels can be made available for an additional cost), high speed wireless internet, water, sewage, and electric/gas (capped) are included in the monthly rental rate. We offer additional services, like maid service, for an additional fee. Full, non-refundable 30-day monthly rent payable in advance of move in. Non-refundable if tenant does not move in, although we will refund if we are able to re-rent the unit.

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Deb Salek, the owner of AvenueWest Northern Colorado, recently had the article “AvenueWest Northern Colorado Offers Turnkey Solutions for Corporate and Transitional Housing” on the Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce website:

“With an increased local need for high-quality furnished short-term rentals, AvenueWest Northern Colorado has carved out a niche as a premier provider of full-service corporate and transitional housing in Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Windsor and surrounding communities.

The view from one of our exclusive fully furnished corporate housing units.

‘AvenueWest offers much more than a hotel stay, but rather a home away from home where you can feel settled and comfortable for your time in the property. We make it as easy as possible for clients. Just bring your suitcase,’ said Deb Salek, AvenueWest Northern Colorado CEO, Broker, and Owner. ‘We provide choices for the traveling professional or relocating individual.’

Todd, as COO and the head of business development, brings his vast experience in sales and customer service to AvenueWest and their clients. Todd, having traveled extensively with his previous career with a Fortune 100 company, fully appreciates the value, convenience and amenities of quality corporate housing.

“Our client companies find that it’s much more convenient to work with one point person to coordinate their business’s short-term furnished housing needs,” said Todd. “They are guaranteed to receive consistent quality and service with every property, and never have to worry about dealing with unknown property owners who may have varying quality standards.”

All AvenueWest properties are move-in ready and feature a full kitchen, fine housewares and furnishings, linens and towels, and other comforts of home. All utilities, phone, cable and internet are already connected when clients move in and are included in one rental payment.

To read the full article, click here. Please visit our website to see all of our beautiful properties located in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Greeley, CO. For more information, contact us directly: 970-797-3099 or via email FortCollins@avenuewest.com.

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Northeast Suites who is affiliated with AvenueWest Boston received this year’s Company of the Year Award from the Corporate Housing Providers Association (CHPA). The Tower of Excellence and Company of the Year Awards recognize outstanding member companies and individuals who demonstrate commitment, excellence, and significant contributions to their company, CHPA, and the industry. “It is an honor and a privilege to be recognized by the Corporate Housing Providers Association as its Company of the Year,” said CEO and Founder Patrick Flynn. “Winning this award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Northeast Suites team, and we will continue to build upon our reputation as the premier corporate housing provider in the northeast.”

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AvenueWest Corporate Housing, Inc., founded in April of 1999, celebrates their 15th anniversary this year! 🙂

This Colorado business shows staying power by finding solutions for customers in the economic and housing market’s ups and downs.

DENVER, May 1st, 2014 – AvenueWest Corporate Housing, Inc., started as a small real estate management company but quickly grew to the largest provider of corporate housing rentals in Colorado, added a spin-off of Corporate Housing by Owner and is now the foundation for the national expansion of AvenueWest Global Franchise. This month AvenueWest Corporate Housing is celebrating its 15th anniversary of doing business and providing solutions for property owners, corporate travelers and business owners alike.

In 1999 Kimberly Smith along with her business partner and husband, Eric, founded AvenueWest Corporate Housing, Inc. Which went on to become a multi-million dollar company providing furnished corporate housing and property management services to upscale business travelers. A recognized leader in the industry, AvenueWest was awarded the Corporate Housing Providers Association’s (CHPA) prestigious 2010 ProviderCompany of the YearAward and listed for 3 consecutive years on Inc Magazine’sInc 5000 list featuring the country’s fastest growing businesses.

Kimberly Smith states that there are two secrets to the company’s success. First, they work hard to run AvenueWest as a team and develop a place where their employees enjoy coming to work, take pride in what they do and create lasting solutions for the tasks at hand.

Secondly, Smith adds, that they believe in doing business the old-fashioned way, person-to-person with high standards for customer service. “We are able to offer relocated or traveling professionals more than just a temporary place to call home; we also help them get to know and love their new city like we do. So many of our customers come back to us time and time again because they know they can depend on us for reliable information about the city they are relocating to.”

Kimberly and Eric Smith are passionate about people and finding solutions. They believe real estate investors will continue to invest and need the right support teams to protect those investments. “2014 is the year of the real estate investor,” the Smith’s say. “We’re not just interested in running a website or a property management business. What we’re doing is much bigger. We’re educating and developing sustainable systems and residual income. We see today as a time that real estate investment can and should be as accessible as trading stocks.”

Alpha Books, a division of the Penguin Group agrees. The publisher, knowing the real estate landscape had shifted and seeing a need for investment property guidance, recently hired Kimberly Smith to write and share her hard-earned knowledge with the rest of the world and so was born, The Idiot’s Guides: Making Money with Rental Properties. “It’s not good enough to shout from the roof tops that corporate housing is a fantastic venture, we have to show investors how and why in 2014.”

Kimberly Smith continues to lead in the corporate housing industry and served as the 2011 Chairman of the Board of Directors for CHPA, the primary trade organization for the corporate housing industry. Kimberly has been nationally recognized for her business success and her philanthropic endeavors and is frequently featured in media sources like The NY Times, The LA Times, The Denver Post, US News & World Report, MSNBC.com, CNBC and SmartMoney.com. She was awarded the 2013 Denver Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business award for real estate, small business finalist in 2010, a finalist in the prestigious Power Book special section of The Denver Business Journal, a feature in Denver Woman magazine as an outstanding business woman and mother. In 2009 she was selected to join The Denver Business Journal’s elite class of 40 under 40 and in 2010 and was recognized by CoBiz Magazine as a top 5 GenXYZ leader.

About AvenueWest Corporate Housing, Inc.

AvenueWest Corporate Housing, Inc. was found in 1999 by husband and wife team, Kimberly and Eric Smith. Kimberly and Eric began their corporate housing careers in 1994 providing corporate housing to the San Francisco market before relocating to Denver and starting AvenueWest. More information can be found at www.AvenueWest.com.

About AvenueWest Global Franchise:

Established in 2010, AvenueWest Global Franchise grew from the desire to expand the business opportunity and corporate housing excellence achieved through the AvenueWest Corporate Housing Managed Corporate Housing program that was founded in 1999. Currently AvenueWest Global Franchise has 8 offices located in Atlanta GA, Boston MA, Colorado Springs CO, Dallas TX, Denver CO, Fort Collins CO, Phoenix AZ, and San Francisco CA. For franchise information and opportunities go to: www.AvenueWestFranchise.com.

About CorporateHousingByOwner.com (CHBO):

CorporateHousingbyOwner.com was founded in 2006 out of a need to connect private homeowners and real estate investors offering furnished, short-term rentals with corporate housing seekers such as traveling executives, relocated professionals, traveling nurses, actors, athletes and more. The company gives individual homeowners and investors tools to manage a corporate housing property themselves as well as helps them market their property to a mass audience turning to corporate housing to fulfill their housing needs. More information is available at: www.CorporateHousingbyOwner.com.

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Thanks to our wonderful Account Executive, Tandice Emswiller, at the AvenueWest Dallas office, we recently received this testimony from one of our happy customers:

“Hello AvenueWest Dallas, I worked with you two years ago in finding corporate housing for two months, and really enjoyed working with you. Last year, we went with another corporate housing company but did not have the same experience. Well we are in need of a place for the summer again for two months in about a month. I wanted to know what you had available. We need a two bedroom preferably in the uptown/downtown area but are willing to go to other parts of Dallas if it’s something we really like.” -Latoya

Way to go Tandice! 🙂 If you would like to see all of our amazing properties in the Dallas metro area, click here. Contact Tandice directly for pricing and availability – (214) 754-7171 or via email Dallas@avenuewest.com.

One of the many benefits of leasing a fully furnished rental instead of staying in an extended stay property is the full kitchens – this lovely kitchen is just one of the many fine rentals that AvenueWest Dallas has to offer. 🙂